Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra who is also the Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, presided over a meeting of the Board

Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board on Tuesday decided that 60 days long Amarnath Yatra will begin on June 28 and conclude on August 26 this year, reports ANI. Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra who is also the Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, presided over a meeting of the Board to discuss the implementation of the directions recently passed by NGT regarding Amarnath Yatra and to decide the further course of action.

Last month, the National Green Tribunal banned the chanting of mantras at Amarnath temple and issued a slew of measures to be implemented by the Amarnath Shrine Board. Later on, the tribunal issued a clarification regarding its new rules restricting the chanting of mantras or the ringing of bells inside the Amarnath cave. According to Scroll.in, NGT said, “the temple has not been declared a “silent zone” and the new rules do not impose any restrictions during the aarti and other rituals.”

According to a PTI report, this clarification came after a backlash from Vishwa Hindu Parishad which described the rule as a “Tughlaki fatwa” and also took a jibe at the board by stating that Hindus were not responsible for every ecological problem on Earth.

However, in an interview with PTI, the environment activist Gauri Maulekhi, on whose plea the directions were passed, had welcomed the order and termed it “good and progressive”. Maulekhi told PTI, “The Amarnath cave is located in a delicate ecosystem. The directions would make the Amarnath Yatra safe and convenient for the devotees. This would protect the shrine from degradation and ensure it is protected for the coming generations. It is indeed a very good and progressive direction.”